Summary & Overview
CPT 25390: Radius or Ulna Shortening Osteotomy
CPT code 25390 designates a surgical shortening osteotomy of the radius or ulna where a segment of the bone shaft is removed to reduce bone length. This procedure is clinically important for treating forearm length discrepancies, correcting deformity, and improving joint function. Nationally, the code is used across inpatient and outpatient surgical settings and is relevant to orthopedic surgeons, surgical facilities, and payers managing musculoskeletal surgical benefit design.
Key payers in the covered analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context and typical sites of service, payment and coverage considerations as addressed by major payers, and operational benchmarks where available. The publication outlines how 25390 is documented on procedural claims, common modifier usage (listed separately), and implications for facility versus professional billing. Policy updates and payer-specific coverage rules that affect prior authorization, bundling, and inpatient versus outpatient status determination are summarized.
This resource is intended for clinicians, billing professionals, and policy analysts seeking a national-level briefing on the clinical purpose of CPT code 25390, payer interactions, and the key administrative considerations surrounding surgical forearm shortening procedures.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 25390 describes a surgical procedure in which a segment of the radial or ulnar diaphysis (shaft) is removed to shorten the bone. This procedure is a form of long-bone shortening osteotomy performed on the forearm bones (radius or ulna) to correct length discrepancies or alignment issues.
-
Service type: Surgical orthopedics (bone shortening/osteotomy)
-
Typical site of service: Hospital inpatient, hospital outpatient, or ambulatory surgical center, depending on clinical complexity and admission needs.
Data not available in the input for associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, and related codes.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is an adult who presents with a shortened, malunited, or symptomatic discrepancy of the forearm following prior trauma (e.g., healed radius or ulna fracture with shortening) or congenital deformity resulting in pain, limited range of motion, and functional impairment. The orthopedic surgeon evaluates the patient with history, physical exam, and imaging (plain radiographs; occasional CT for deformity planning). Nonoperative measures (physical therapy, bracing, analgesics) have been tried and failed or are inappropriate due to severity. The clinical workflow includes preoperative evaluation and surgical planning, consent, perioperative anesthesia, intraoperative exposure of the affected diaphysis (radius or ulna), resection of a predetermined segment of the bone shaft to shorten the bone, possible osteotomy and alignment maneuvers, internal fixation (plates and screws or intramedullary devices) as required, intraoperative fluoroscopy to confirm alignment and length, wound closure, postoperative immobilization, and follow-up for radiographic union and rehabilitation. Typical postoperative documentation includes operative report with indication, laterality, exact segment removed, fixation method, estimated blood loss, and discharge instructions. The typical site of service is an ambulatory surgery center or hospital operating room. Usual providers performing this procedure are orthopedic surgeons with hand/upper extremity subspecialty or general orthopedics; anesthesia services are present per facility practice.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
LT |